Of the many positive developments for the Toronto Blue Jays this off-season, none are any more important than the latest one: Slugger Jose Bautista says his left wrist is fully recovered from season-ending surgery.

“There is no doubt that if we had a game tonight, I’d be playing," Bautista told reporters in Toronto.

Despite the off-season acquisitions of Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and others, Bautista remains the club’s best player as well as one of the game’s top power-hitters. Much of his exceptional bat speed is generated from his wrists so their health is key to his power. He was limited to 97 games in 2012 but still managed 27 homers.

Bautista says he started swinging a bat a month ago and is up to five sessions a week in the cage. He told mlb.com he is swinging as hard as he can without ill effects and all he hasn’t done is hit against live pitching. He says he will wait for spring training to do that.

The Blue Jays might not be as convinced as Bautista that he is ready for the season. GM Alex Anthopoulos has yet to give Bautista clearance to play in the World Baseball Classic.

“We’ve had conversations, but obviously when you finish the season on the disabled list, it's natural for the organization to want to look after your best interests and your health, and the team's best interest," Bautista told MLB.com. “I understand where they are coming from. I'm not too excited about my chances, but at least they haven't told me no yet.’

Even if Bautista is listed on the Dominican Republic roster when it is announced in the coming days, it doesn’t mean he’s a lock to play. The Blue Jays have no reason to make a decision on Bautista’s availability for the WBC until spring training nears.